


Deception

by ElliottRookArchive (ElliottRook)



Category: Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: F/M, Jun Motomiya is a good sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-04-09
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23378128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElliottRook/pseuds/ElliottRookArchive
Summary: Kari is tired of Davis pestering her for a date, so she and Sora come up with a scheme to get him to leave her alone. Trouble is, Kari's got a habit of underestimating Davis, and things fall apart when he catches on--and Kari realizes she's only been deceiving herself.
Relationships: Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya/Yagami Hikari | Kari Kamiya
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

"Come on, Kari, please, please, please?"

Kari sighed. Davis was on her case again. "No. For the three hundred forty-eight thousand six hundred and twenty-third time, I will not go out on a date with you. Not this Saturday, not the next, not ever." She slammed her locker door shut and turned on her heel.

"Are you sure?" Davis's voice echoed through the hallway. Other students that didn't even know him or Kari began to snicker at his pathetic desperateness.

Kari sighed again, but pretended not to hear him, or see the laughing kids. _Now he's messing up my reputation, too. They're not just laughing at him anymore. I need to come up with something to get him off my case. But I don't want to hurt him too badly--he'd be crushed. I have to think of some way for him to like someone else. Arrrgh! It's definitely Monday!_

* * *

That evening, after dinner, Kari decided to call up Sora. She thought of her older brother's girlfriend as a sort-of older sister. There were things that she could talk about with Sora that Tai would _never_ understand and that she just couldn't discuss with her mother. _Perhaps she's just already taking on the role of sister-in-law..._ Kari giggled to herself. _I'll have to use that on Tai sometime. Anyway, I'm glad she's there for me. And that I have my own phone line in my room!_

Sora finally picked up. "Kari! What's up?"

"I need to talk to you, Sora."

"Is something wrong?" Sora asked worriedly.

"Yeah. Guy problems."

"Ohh...it's about Davis, huh?" Sora asked. "I saw what happened in the hallway today."

Kari blushed. "Yeah. It wasn't so embarrassing once, but it happens every day, day after day..."

"Well, what do you need to know?"

"Sora, is there a way to get Davis to get off my case and find himself a different girl without hurting his feelings?"

Sora, on her end of the line, smiled a bit. "I think you might have just suggested the answer yourself."

"What...?" Kari sat on her bed, frowning. _What is she up to?_

"A different girl. Listen. Davis likes you because he thinks you're perfect. You're pretty, you're smart, you're polite, you're a great listener..."

Kari blushed again, not knowing what to say. She knew it was all true, but she didn't want to be a bragger. She decided the most polite thing to do was interrupt. "Sora, go on with your plan, please."

"All you have to do is _go_ on a date with him, and show him you're not as great as he thinks you are."

"But, Sora...I...I don't like him...I don't want to go--"

"He doesn't have to know that, and he doesn't have to know that you're everything he thinks you are and more."

Kari blushed yet again. "Thank you, Sora. But I still don't understand what you're saying."

"Kari, listen. Find out what he hates in a girl. Maybe the one thing that really irks him is if a girl insists on going to a movie or something like that. I don't know. Snoop around a bit. Then the next time he asks you on a date, accept, and then on the date do _everything_ you know he hates. He'll be disappointed but glad he got out before he got in too deep, he'll find someone who likes him too, and you're free to go on to another guy."

Kari smiled the same devious smile as Sora. "That just might work."

"Of course it will. Good luck! Now, I have to go, my mother is yelling at me from downstairs, something about wilting carnations..."

"I don't want to get you in any more trouble. Thanks for your advice. Bye!" Kari pressed the hang-up button on the phone, and then dialed T.K.'s number.

His mom answered and asked her about school and such, so it was a few minutes before Kari got to her friend. "T.K.!"

"Hey, Kari. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing new...can you do me a favor?"

She heard T.K. laugh a little. "Right. You tell me there's nothing up and ask for a favor in the same sentence? Nothing suspicious there."

"Wait until you hear the favor. Listen, Sora just gave me an idea to get Davis off my back and I need to talk to his sister."

"What has that got to do with me?"

"If you could call Matt and get him to call Jun and have her meet me in the library during lunch period, I'll owe you one."

"In the library during lunch?"

"The one place Davis is sure not to be, at a time all he can think about is food."

"Why get Matt to do it, though? Why not just get out your student directory and call her?"

Kari sighed. "What if Davis answers? Besides, Jun would do anything Matt asked her to. Please, T.K.?"

"Well, it'll be hard to convince Matt...but I'll do it if you owe me _two_ , okay?"

"Thanks, T.K.!"

* * *

Later that evening at the Motomiya residence, the phone rang. Jun ran to answer it. "Moshi moshi, Motomiya desu."

"Jun? This is..."

"Oh, Matt, hi! What's up?" Jun sat on the small table where the telephone sat, crossing her legs and trying to turn on the feminine charm.

"Listen, there's something you could do for me, a big favor."

"A favor for you, Matt?" _Maybe he needs a date for some party. If he needs a date for a friend, too, I know a lot of girls..._

"Yeah. Do you know who Kari is? There's a couple of ways you might know her, she's my brother's best friend, and your brother has a huge crush on her..."

"Kari Kamiya? Yeah. I've seen her," Jun said, getting irritated that the "favor" had nothing to do with going on a date with Matt.

"Great. She wants to talk to you. Can you meet her in the school library during lunch?"

"What does she want to talk to me for?"

"I don't know, but if you do this you'll be doing me a big favor--namely, keeping my brother off my case about it."

"Well...okay. I'll do it..."

Matt hung up.

Jun let out a cry of annoyance. "Ahhhhh! Matt! I was going to say, 'If you give me a big sloppy kiss!'"

Davis stuck his head out his door. "Another bomb-out, Jun?"

"Shut up, you little freak! Go back to your video games!"

Davis wrinkled his nose. "With pleasure, zit-face." He disappeared back through the doorway.

"Mooo-ooom! Davis called me the forbidden name again!"

* * *

Kari stood in front of a table in the library. Matt had called her to tell her Jun had agreed (and that Kari now owed _him_ one too), so she knew that her wait was not in vain. She wasn't sure if she was scared or pleased that Jun was coming. She wondered briefly if maybe she should just go before Jun showed up, but she decided that would probably only raise Davis's opinion of her, and besides, she'd run into Jun sooner or later, and she wouldn't want to lie her way out of admitting cowardice.

At last, the older girl with the spiky hair appeared in the doorway.

"Kari?" Jun asked.

"Yes. Yes, I'm Kari."

"My beloved Matt said you wanted to talk to me."

 _Beloved? Wait 'til T.K. hears this!_ Outwardly, Kari pretended not to hear the term of endearment. "Yes. Please. I need to ask you a few things about your brother."

"My brother?" Jun tilted her head. This favor was getting less and less pleasant. _Matt will definitely kiss me before the week is over, whether he likes it or not. I deserve it!_

"Yes. I need to know...what he doesn't like...in a girl."

"You mean, if he was to go out with a girl, what would drive him nuts?"

Kari blushed and looked down. "Yeah."

Jun smiled. "Well, I should know better than anyone. He recites a list of what I shouldn't do every time I have a date. Let me think." When Jun started remembering, she went on for ten minutes, explaining the different things Kari needed to know. "Why?" she finally asked, after she finished.

Kari returned her gaze to the floor. "Well..."

"He has a crush on you, I know. Let me guess. You want to get him off your case?"

Kari nodded silently.

Jun nodded. "I know he can be irritating, trust me, I live with him. He's a pain of an ototo-chan. But his heart's in the right place. He's not _all_ bad. Give him a chance, at least, before you break his heart."

Kari looked up at Jun. "Thank you." She turned and left, not giving Jun an answer either way.

* * *

Kari called Sora again after school.

"So? Have you found anything out?" Sora pried.

"I got the _lowdown_ ," Kari assured her. "Sora, you'll never guess who I talked to about it."

"Well, he's never had a girlfriend that I know of, so I'm not placing my money on an ex...just tell me!"

Kari laughed. "I called T.K. and had him call Matt, who arranged for me to meet with...Jun!"

"Jun? As in, Davis's sister Jun?!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Kari, you're a lot sneakier than I thought!"

Both girls smothered resounding laughter.

Finally, Sora calmed herself. "What did Jun say?"

 _...his heart's in the right place. He's not_ all _bad. Give him a chance, at least, before you break his heart..._ Kari ignored the voice telling her to say it. Instead she went on for a few minutes about the less obvious of Davis's quirks.

"That should be easy, Kari," Sora said. "And I'll bet when it's all over, Davis will never look at you the same way again."

"Thank Heaven!"

"You know what else? I'll bet that once Davis is out of the picture, T.K. will make his first move."

Kari sighed. For the first time she thought of completely abandoning the scheme. "I don't want him to make a move, Sora. He's my best friend, and if he did, it would ruin it."

"Oh. Well, nevermind. Listen. I have to go, my mom is swamped with orders...it's springtime. I guess love is in the air."

Kari laughed. "Okay, then, 'bye!" After she hung up, she thought about what Sora had said about T.K.. _I thought she knew. There's nothing between me and T.K.._

"Kari!"

"What is it, Tai?"

"Dinner's ready!"

"Coming!"


	2. Chapter 2

Wednesday rolled around. Kari stood, hiding behind her locker door. Davis was coming. She could hear him talking with one of his soccer buddies. _Why am I hiding? I'm going to say yes, and besides, he can see my feet. He knows I'm here._

"Bye, Shane. Catch ya after school, right?" Davis said.

Kari heard Shane say something and run off.

"Hey, Kari," Davis greeted her.

"Hi, Davis," she smiled. _This is so different from my stiff "hello". Quick! Before he asks...ask him! Jun said he thinks it's the guy's job..._ she thought. "Umm, Davis, do you have any plans tonight?"

The hall suddenly became so silent Kari distinctly heard Davis's jaw hit the floor. Instantly he was a mass of nervousness, astonishment written all over his face.

 _Did Kari just ask me if I have plans?_ "I...um...I...I...no!" Davis finally shoved out the single syllable that made all the difference in the world.

"Well, then, Davis, since I'm free, why don't you take me out somewhere?" _I can't believe I'm going through with this!_

 _She...she...she...asked...me...me...me...to go...go...go...on a date...date...date..._ Davis was flabbergasted, and since it was Kari, he decided to lay aside his conception of his having to ask her and just jump at the opportunity sent down from Heaven. "That...sounds...great..."

"Wonderful! Meet me at the cinema at six, and then after the movie we can go to dinner." _How original, Kari._

 _Meet her? She doesn't want me to come get her? Oh well, who cares, this is the best thing that's ever happened to me!_ "I'll...be...there..."

Kari smiled. _Just like planned..._ "Okay. See you then!"

* * *

By lunchtime it was all over school that Kari had _asked Motomiya_ on a date _and_ they were going out that night.

Sora and Kari were sitting together. "So you actually did it?" Sora gushed. "Kari, you little heartbreaker!"

"Hey, this was your idea," Kari reminded her. "Don't pin _all_ the blame on me."

Sora laughed. "Okay. By the way, I don't care how late you get back, I want you to promise to call me and tell me all about it."

Kari tilted her head. "Sora...this is different than going out with someone I like. You'll hear all about it on Monday, I'm sure, and besides, you can at least wait until tomorrow morning."

Sora blushed. "You're right. You must think I'm butting in. Forget about it."

"Don't worry over it. No big deal."

* * *

After school, Kari got a call from T.K..

"Hey, Sora filled me in on your plot to get rid of Davis. I've gotta say that it's a brilliant piece of planning."

Kari laughed. "Thank you, but it was Sora's idea. I called her to complain and she thought it up for me. All I thought to do was to talk to Jun. By the way, if this comes up between you and Matt, tell him that I heard Jun Motomiya call him 'her beloved Matt' with my own two ears."

T.K. laughed a bit. "I will, even if I have to bring it up just to tell him. Anyway, I just called to wish you good luck."

"Thanks. Hopefully, I won't need it, but it couldn't hurt anything."

"Yeah. Bye!"

"Bye!" Kari hung up. _Does he want it to go well--actually, it would have to go badly for it to go well--so that I'm free to go out with_ him _? Oh, I hope not. Breaking two hearts in one week is too much for me._

* * *

That evening, Kari did not dress up or wear any special makeup. In jeans and a yellow t-shirt, she waited outside the cinema. Davis was a little disappointed. He, after all, had...not really dressed up either.

When they got to the ticket stand, Davis asked for two, and then only pulled out enough money for one.

"Umm...Davis...I didn't..." Kari turned one pocket inside-out. "I thought, since this is a date..."

 _Aww man...I didn't even think about that! Why didn't I think to ask her to go Dutch?_ He sighed a little to himself and pulled out enough for her ticket as well. _Hey, I bet she expects me to pay for her dinner too! Well, that's one week of allowance I can kiss goodbye!_

Davis sulked a bit through the previews, but when the movie started, he became attentive. They'd decided to watch a romantic comedy, which was actually a first for him. He found it more interesting than he cared to admit.

Near the end, when the main characters realized they were hopelessly in love, Kari sat a bit lower in her seat, wondering what Davis _might_ do.

Davis, on the other hand, was wondering whether he should do _anything. I've been trying to get her to come on this date for months! I don't want to blow it on the first night, after she actually shows some interest! But what if she wants me to...?_

Finally, he put his hand on hers. She stiffened in shock, but before she could decide what to do, the credits started. He moved his hand, blushing, and stood.

 _Talk about perfect timing!_ she thought, relieved. _But, still, I wonder what would have happened...had it not..._

"Kari? Are we going now?" Davis asked.

She snapped her head up. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking. Let's go." She stood up and they left the theater.

He wanted to go someplace quiet for dinner. He had so many questions for her. _Like why she wanted to go on a date all of a sudden. I mean, one day, she's saying that there's no way she'd ever go on a date with me, and two days later she's asking me to take her!_

But Kari, doing exactly what Jun said he would hate, insisted on a fast-food place. He relented--he still didn't want to blow it.

It was bright and noisy inside, and there were people coming and going constantly. There were no places to really talk.

Kari fought her impulse to eat quickly and get it all overwith, and ate slowly the way she was accustomed to doing. In fact, she let herself drag it out, but talked very little. She watched the people come in and out the door and paid very little attention to her "date".

Davis played with the straw in his soda. _This isn't as much fun as I'd hoped it would be. And I don't think it's because I expected too much. Maybe Kari is different than what I thought._

Suddenly, watching the door paid off for Kari. Yet another thing that would turn Davis off walked right in. "Hey! Yolei!"

Davis snapped his head up and looked over his shoulder. It was Yolei, with two girls he'd seen her hanging out with but didn't know.

"Kari! Hi!" Yolei, with both her friend following, came and sat next to Kari. "Hey, Davis, Kari, these are my friends Sandi and Trina, girls, these are Kari and Davis."

"Hi!" Kari said. Sandi squeezed into the booth on the other side of Yolei, and Trina plunked down next to Davis. "What are you doing out and about?"

"Oh, the usual," Yolei said. "Absolutely nothing. Up until today you knew the tragedy of being single."

Kari smiled, and blushed.

Davis was upset. _Who does Yolei think she is? Dragging all these girls in so that Kari and I can't talk, even though she and everyone else in school knows that we're on a date! Hey! What Yolei just said makes it sound like I've asked Kari to be my girlfriend! I mean, I was going to, later tonight, but..._

"Well, I'm sure you two have plenty to talk about, so we'll go on and leave you alone," Yolei said, and she and her friends left to go order.

Davis thought they would leave and go to another restaurant, but they ordered and sat at a table too far away to hear anything, but close enough to see _everything. Just when I thought Yolei might be a decent person and_ leave us alone _, she proves me wrong._

 _I'll have to thank her later,_ Kari thought.

"Kari?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you almost finished?"

Kari looked down, she had finished her burger and there were only a few fries left. She picked them all up and ate them in one bite. "Yes. I'm done...and I think I'd best head home."

"I'll pay so we can take the train..."

"I'm not allowed to ride the trains at night."

"Then I'll walk you."

Kari sighed. _If I had an excuse, any excuse, I'd use it, but I don't. Since we're out on a date there is no logical reason that Davis shouldn't walk me home._ "All right."

As they left, Yolei let out a loud wolf whistle. Color crept up into Davis's face.

It was chilly outside, and Kari wished she'd thought to wear a light jacket like Davis's. He offered his to her, but Jun had said he really hated being turned down, and she didn't want to encourage him, so she refused it. Again, he was disappointed but tried not to show it too much.

They talked, but not about anything important. The conversation covered the movie, seeing Yolei, school, things like that.

"I can't believe Yolei had the nerve to do that," Davis said.

"Do what?" _Even though I know very well "what"._

"Come over and drag her ditzy friends along with her. The entire school knew we were going on a date, so there's no way she could have _not_ heard about it. She should have known to leave us alone."

Kari decided to play it down, Yolei was just being friendly, and besides, it would grate on Davis's nerves. "Oh, Daisuke, I'm sure she didn't mean to interfere..."

"What'd you call me?" Davis ground to a halt.

Kari hid her smile well. _I just killed two birds with one stone!_ "Oh, sorry, I wasn't thinking and it just slipped out." _On purpose._

"Kari, ever since we've known each other you've never let it 'just slip', even when we first met." It bothered him that he was thinking negatively of Kari, but it seemed odd to him that she would say it.

"I was thinking about Yolei, and I wasn't paying attention. Sorry."

"Yeah, whatever." Davis turned away from her until the pout he couldn't help disappeared. He wasn't too fond of his "real" name. It was what he was called by annoying people like teachers, and doctors, and--when he got in trouble--his parents. Granted, it sounded completely different coming from Kari, but _that_ fact hadn't clicked until after he had complained about it.

When they reached her apartment building, she wouldn't let him come upstairs, much less inside, even though her parents wouldn't mind having him stay for a while.

"It's still early," Davis protested.

"Davis..." she frowned.

He stared her right in the eyes, and _then_ it hit him. "You...didn't...really..."

"Really what?"

"Want to..."

"Want to what?" _Is he onto me? Has he seen through my plan?_

"You...just wanted me to...leave...you...alone." His voice was cracking. A single tear rolled down his cheek. _Why can't she understand how much I really care? I know that I'm not always so great at showing it, but my intentions are good. I try to get her to see..._

 _Oh, no, I didn't think it would be like this...I didn't want him to be sad, I wanted him to be angry at me!_ "Davis, I--"

"Don't...tell me it isn't...true...because...it...is." He looked down. "Isn't it?"

His words were heartfelt, making Kari sorry she'd ever started the whole business. _It wasn't supposed to end like this! He was supposed to get mad because I was so irritating, and storm off...he wasn't supposed to get his heart broken! He was supposed to wonder what he ever saw in me! He wasn't supposed to cry!_ Tears welled up in Kari's own eyes.

Davis didn't get an answer, but suddenly it didn't matter to him. He walked off without another word, without so much as a glance back. If he had looked up and seen the look in her eyes, he might have stayed. There was something there that hadn't been there before.

Kari wanted to run after him and apologize, but her feet were rooted to the ground. Her throat was too tight to make any sound.

As soon as he had disappeared from sight, she let herself fall against the wall of the building, and slide to the ground. She felt like she was on an emotional carousel, 'round and 'round and 'round. Her tears felt like rain on her cheeks.

She spoke aloud, even though he was no longer there to hear. "Davis...I'm sorry...I can't believe...that I honestly thought...I could do this...without hurting you!" Sobs racked her body for several minutes. Finally she got them under control--but barely. She ran upstairs and into her apartment.

She began taking her shoes off and heard Tai yelling hello. She walked for the door of her room.

"Hey, Kari, how was your..."

_Slam!_

"...date?" Tai looked at Agumon, who was sitting at the table.

"Don't look at me, just hurry up with that omelet."

"Omelet? _Oh no it's burning!!!_ "


	3. Chapter 3

Kari had flopped onto her bed, having slammed her door just in time to keep Tai from seeing her fresh crop of tears. _Davis...I'm sorry...I thought I could get rid of you without hurting you...but now that I_ have _hurt you...I realize now...I never wanted to get rid of you in the first place. I'm such an idiot not to have noticed it before! I_ care _about him! I care about you Davis Motomiya!_ She cried into her pillow.

"Kari?" It was Gatomon.

Another sob shook Kari's small frame. "...What is it, Gatomon?"

"Funny...I was about to ask you the same question."

"It's _not_ funny, Gatomon...I'm such an idiot. Just...go away."

"Kari?"

"I said go away!!!"

Gatomon laid down next to the bed, listening to Kari's sobs, but not asking anything. Kari cried herself to sleep.

* * *

It had been early when Kari had gotten home, and she woke up around midnight with a headache.

She stumbled out of bed and went into the bathroom to get an aspirin. _Ugh...I hate myself for this whole mess...Davis will never forgive me...I don't care if he ever talks to me again, all I want is for him to forgive me, but he never will. This is all Sora's fault!_ Kari stopped her train of thought. _No it isn't. I can't blame her for something I could have backed out of at any time, even if she did think it up. I felt uneasy when even_ Jun _stuck up for him. I felt really bad not answering her, and it turns out she was right about him. I should have done what I thought was right and just forgotten about the whole idea. I'm such an idiot!_

"Kari?" Gatomon had come to the bathroom door and was looking at her curiously. Kari was leaning against the sink for support, still in her jeans and t-shirt, her unclipped hair falling across her face. "What happened tonight? You're a mess...Did he--?"

I _hurt_ him _and he's getting the blame for my appearance?_ "No, Gatomon, he didn't try anything like that."

"Then what?"

Kari knelt on the floor, hugging her digimon. Then she held her away at arm's length. "I was wrong about him. Remember I told you that I was going on this date to make Davis realize that I'm not all he thought I was?"

Gatomon frowned and wrinkled her nose, her whiskers twitching ever so slightly. "Yes...but I still don't understand."

"Well, he found that out. I'm not perfect. He found out I'd stoop low--very low--to get him off my case. And I found out he's not all I thought he was. He is so much more than I ever imagined..."

"More of a jerk?" Gatomon asked incredulously, knowing Kari's opinion of him had never been really high.

"No, Gatomon, more...better...I need to talk to Sora." Kari stood and went into her room, shutting Gatomon out as she headed for the phone. Gatomon was smart enough to _not_ follow her.

The phone rang several times, and Kari began to wonder if Sora and her mother turned off the ringer when they went to bed. Finally Sora answered, sounding all out of breath.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Sora..."

"Kari! Sorry I took so long to answer, I had to run upstairs from the flower shop. We're working overtime...we're swamped. The number down there and the one up here are different, you know...hey, did you just now get home? Are you all right? Did Davis--"

"No, but Gatomon thinks I look like he did. And no, he got me home by nine."

"Then what happened?"

"I was crying, and I fell asleep. I just woke up needing an aspirin."

"Whoa, whoa, back up. Why are you calling me _now_? Why didn't you wait until in the morning?"

"It's a long story, but I'll try to make it short. Down out front of the apartment building, I told him he couldn't come all the way up here to the apartment. He protested, and I protested his protesting, and he realized that I hadn't meant any of the stuff about wanting to go on a date." The tears decided that it was time for an encore. "He...remembered how I'd behaved...so differently from how I usually am...and he figured it out. It was a good plan, Sora, but we both underestimated him."

Sora sighed. _It's all starting to make sense._ "Go on, Kari. I'm not the one who needs to be reassured right now."

Kari choked back a sob. "Anyway, while I was thinking...about how wrong it was turning out--he was crying, Sora...not angry, _crying_ \--he told me not to tell him that it wasn't true, and he asked if it was true, and I didn't answer. He walked off into the night...and I started crying...and I realized...that I never meant to hurt him...but I _did_ hurt him..."

"Kari, Kari, you can't do a thing about it _tonight_. It's late, so whatever you do will have to wait until morning. So calm down and finish, please."

Kari took a few deep breaths, and continued. "I had thought that I could get rid of him without hurting him, Sora. But then when he started crying, I realized how deeply he cared about me, and that I had totally ignored it...and, Sora..."

"Yes?"

"I never really wanted to get rid of him!" Kari's tears fell unchecked.

Sora sighed. "Are you all right, Kari? Will you be okay until in the morning? You won't try to hurt yourself?"

"No! That didn't even cross my mind. I have to at least apologize to him. But he'll never forgive me! I know he'll never like me, and I wouldn't blame him for that, but if he never forgives me..."

"Kari."

"Oh, Sora, I'm such an idiot! I never should have listened to you!"

 _Am I supposed to disagree with that?_ "Kari!"

"Sorrraaa...I hate myself."

" _Kari!_ "

Kari jumped. "What?"

"You've already shown yourself to have a habit of underestimating Davis. He's probably more hurt over the fact that he thinks you _still_ don't care about him than the fact that you did this. If you tell him how you feel--that you care about him, then he might still forgive you. Do you want me to go with you? I put you up to this and I need to apologize to him, too."

"No...this is something I need to do by myself."

"Okay, I'll wait until you apologize first. That way I can keep getting onto you to hurry up and do it so _I_ can apologize and stop having a guilty conscience."

Kari smiled in spite of herself. She took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll go to school early--he'll be there with his soccer ball, practicing. I'll do it as soon as I can."

"That's my girl! Listen, Mom is at the door to our apartment up here wondering who in the world I'm talking to at this hour, so I need to get off the phone and explain why I have mysterious people calling me at 12:30. And you need to get back to bed if you want to get there as early as he does."

"Yeah. Thanks. Good night."

"Good night."

They both hung up.

Gatomon came back into Kari's room and laid on the bed. "I heard most of that."

It didn't bother Kari. It saved her having to repeat all of it to her digimon. She reached for a nightgown and began changing into it. "I know. Did you hear the important stuff?"

"You mean about your feelings for Davis?" Gatomon sat up on her front paws.

"No, I meant the stuff about the illegal aliens from Mars that are setting up a concentration camp for idiotic teenagers that I'm going to get sent to if I don't apologize soon." Kari threw the t-shirt she'd been wearing at Gatomon.

Gatomon bopped it off her head with a large paw and wrinkled her nose at Kari. "I'll take that as a yes."

The jeans sailed across the room and hit Gatomon squarely on the nose.

* * *

Morning finally came, finding both Kari and Davis pretty far down in the dumps.

Davis walked around the field, slowly kicking his soccer ball a few inches ahead of him each time. It made a soft, hollow, rubbery sound. punt...punt...punt...punt.

 _Man, I think I liked it better before when Kari said she'd never go on a date with me. I didn't know how she really felt. Why did she have to go and ruin all my chances? Why did_ Jun _have to talk to her?_ He'd angrily confronted his sister about it when he'd gotten home, which was after he'd cried out all his tears. She tried to tell him that she'd asked Kari to give him a chance, but he hadn't believed her. _Why? It's not fair! No one ever listens to me and the only girl I ever cared about hates me and even my own stupid sister isn't on my side!_

Punt! The soccer ball went a quarter way across the field. Davis ran after it, releasing pent-up energy and anger. _This is for Jun!_ Punt! Halfway. _For Matt calling Jun to get Jun to talk to Kari!_ Punt! Three-quarters. Davis whirled around to kick it back to where he'd been a minute ago. _For whoever thought up this stupid plan, even if it was Kari!_

_Punt!!!_

The ball flew through the air seven or eight feet off the ground, back in the opposite direction. Davis ran as hard as he could after it. He heard it hit the ground, and then all of a sudden it was flying back towards him. He wasn't really playing soccer, and it was coming at the right height, so, confused by the fact that it was coming at all, he let himself catch it with his hands.

"That was some nice footwork," he heard. Then he realized someone had to have kicked it back at him, and he looked up to see...

"Kari?!"

It was Kari, wearing a pink and yellow knee-length skirt and a pale yellow button-front blouse.

 _Whoa...why is she dressed up today and not last night? Is this another stupid plan to make me feel stupid?_ He eyed her, frowning over what it might mean, but enjoying the sight of her nonetheless.

"Davis...I know you must be wondering...why I'm here so early...and...truth is...I'm here to apologize."

He tilted his head to one side, again far too dazed to talk.

"You were right. The plan last night was to make you so mad at me that you'd hate me and get off my case. I figured that way, it wouldn't hurt anybody, I'd be free of you asking me every day, and you'd decide that I wasn't as great as you thought and go find another girl. I never meant to hurt you, Davis. Honest I didn't. I wanted you to just get off my case _without_ having you get all depressed." She paused a minute, thinking that he might say something, but he didn't, and she continued. "But...last night...when you got so upset"--she wisely didn't mention that he had cried--"I started crying, things were going so far differently than what I had planned. I realized that you can't plan feelings. You asked if you were right, and I didn't tell you that you were, so you just left. You didn't see that I was hurting, too. I was. I was crying. And then, after all this time, after I'd finally caused you all that pain, I realized that I never wanted to get rid of you in the first place. Never, Davis. I really do care about you and how you feel. I--I want to apologize. I know I'll never get it, but let me ask for your forgiveness. Davis--please--can you ever forgive me?"

Davis was still in shock. Kari Kamiya, the prettiest girl in the school--the city--the whole _world_ \--was asking him to _forgive her_ for trying to make him go away, and was practically admitting that she loved him?

He dropped the soccer ball and continued to stare at her.

 _He hates me! He can't believe that I was bold enough to even ask!_ Tears welled up in Kari's eyes, but she refused to let them fall until she'd gotten a reaction, even if all he did was just turn away again and walk off, leaving her to her tears.

He stood for a few more seconds, and then...

" _Waaaaaaaaaa-hoooooooooo!_ Yeah! All right!" Davis leapt into the air, cheering and shouting like he'd won the lottery. He kicked the soccer ball off and started doing some kind of victory dance. He kept going, cheering and shouting, until Kari (who, due the movements his dance required, was now behind him), put a hand on his shoulder.

He stopped and blushed. He turned around to face her. Trying to keep a straight face, thinking that this was pretty serious stuff, he said, very quiet and low, "I forgive you."

Kari took a step back. "You do?" she asked, stunned.

"Yeah...Kari, you're the prettiest, nicest, kindest, politest, smartest girl I've ever known. I've had a crush on you for as long as I've known you. If I don't forgive you I'll shoot myself later."

Kari laughed, which made him smile.

"Hey, Kari?"

"Yes, Davis?"

"Do I still have to ask you to go out with me?"

"Yes," Kari told him, still laughing.

"Kari, will you please, please, please be my girlfriend?"

"Of course!"

The pair laughed, reveling in the joy of the moment.

Kari tripped, and fell forward. Davis caught her in his arms. She stood, but didn't pull away. They were close, very close. Kari caught her breath. Davis blinked, not sure what to do. The light caught in Kari's hair, giving her a halo, and she was so beautiful, and in his arms...

At the same time Kari was admiring how handsome Davis really was. Even with all their times in the DigiWorld when he'd overcome his own struggles for the sake of the group and led them on to victory, and all the times he'd accomplished something worth noticing, she'd never looked at him in quite this light.

"Kari?"

His voice startled her. "Mmm? What is it, Davis?"

"You can call me Daisuke. But nobody else better try it."

She smiled. "Okay, _Daisuke_. You caught me off guard. That's not what I thought you were going to say."

"What did you think I was going to say?"

Kari blushed. "I thought you were going to ask if you could kiss me."

That had long been one of Davis's secret dreams, but he hadn't wanted to push her--that and he was nervous. Very nervous. He blinked, and looked away for a second. "Say, Kari, if I had asked that, what would you have said?" He returned his gaze to her ruddy brown eyes.

She smiled. If someone had told her just four short days before that she would be saying this to him, of all guys, she would have died. "I would have said that it would be an honor to get my first kiss from you."

His eyes lit up. She leaned a little closer against him. They both closed their eyes at the same moment and their lips touched. The kiss became deeper as the moments went on, uninterrupted, until they were both out of breath. Davis was actually the one to break it off. "Kari?"

"Yes?"

"Is it supposed to feel like you're flying a million miles an hour and you can't breathe and you're the luckiest person alive and...and..."

"I don't know, but that's what I feel, too."

They both laughed again and spent the time together until more kids started showing up for school and the bell rang for the first class of the day.

* * *

For the most part, the other students who saw Davis and Kari together simply assumed the date went well. Only Davis, Kari, Gatomon, Veemon, Sora, Tai, Agumon, Jun, T.K. and Matt ever knew differently. And they were content to _let_ people think that--even Jun was merciful and didn't spread it among her friends that her little brother had cried over a girl.

Kari didn't get a chance to talk to T.K. until lunch that day, so all morning she worried what he would think of her and Davis. When she told him what had happened between them he congratulated her, and assured her that as her best friend he was truly happy for her, and that it didn't change things between them. Kari was relieved, to say the least. "But I thought that you wanted me to get rid of him because you..."

T.K. laughed. "Nah. If I wanted to ask you on a date--and I don't, I like our friendship the way it is--I wouldn't have given him a second thought. I would have just asked you. I wanted you to get rid of him because he was driving _you_ bananas, but if you like him now, then I don't have a problem with him, and even if I did have a problem, I wouldn't be pushing you to drop him."

Davis actually started getting T.K.'s name right. Now that he was no longer "competition", they could be friends.

Sora apologized to Davis for putting the idea in Kari's head, and he forgave her, too, since it had made Kari realize that she loved him.

That same day, Jun cornered Matt in a study hall that they had in the same period, and managed to get her lips on his for about five seconds before he pushed her away and ran for the boy's bathroom. Even there she stood waiting outside the door for twenty minutes, until the bell rang. Matt swore that to pay for all the therapy he would need to survive the trauma of it, Kari, Gatomon, T.K., Patamon, Davis, Veemon, Sora, and Biyomon would all have to move in with him and be his slaves for the rest of their lives. Since no one offered to actually "pay their debt" he spent the next couple of weeks assuring them that he could drop dead any second.

Veemon tried to convince Gatomon that since their Digipartners were together, that they belonged together as well, but Gatomon's affections continued to lie with Patamon.

On reflection, Kari decided that the whole thing had been for the best. Of course, a lot of pain could have been avoided by just going on a date with Davis like he'd asked, but she wondered if they would have ever been as close as they were already. Also, her bond with T.K. had been really strengthened in a way it wouldn't have been otherwise, and she'd learned a few lessons about life, and about herself.

One of the main life lessons being to follow your heart instead of your head.


End file.
